Successful Group Work

Abstract

The thought of group work, or CLC Groups often strikes fear and loathing in the hearts and minds of both students and instructors. According to Swan, Shen, and Hiltz (2006) collaborative work presents inability of the students to manage the different ideas and opinions while progressing, a decentralization of the objective of the work due to the requirement for increased autonomy and control over the choice of information and its processing, and individual assessment of each group participant. However, the many well worth the effort to gain control of this aspect of the class and position students for a successful and to comply, and anticipating to adapt, that instructors and students can take to help ensure the best chance for successful group work in the classroom. INTRODUCTION Success in group work is largely dependent on providing opportunities for connecting and forming a community in which the shared task is clear, and roles, rules, and responsibilities are understood and complied with. Haythornthwaite (2000) noted several characteristics that indicate the presence of community, including "recognition of members and nonmembers, a shared history, a common meeting place, commitment to a common purpose, adoption of normative standards of behavior, and emergence of hierarchy and roles." Based on these learning communities: "promote initial bonding, monitor and support continued interaction and participation, and provide multiple means of communication for sustaining group interactions." In this article, we will demonstrate how instructors can facilitate the support of collaborative groups in the online classroom.

Hitting the Ground Running: Group Simulations Within Business School Cohorts

“…An appreciation of cultural diversity, and a willingness to think critically, may constitute much of the social development within group work (MacGregor et al, 2000). Many students relish the joys and frictions of diverse interrelationships within collaborative group work (Matthews, 1994), perceiving that it serves a wider range of learning styles (O'Sullivan et al, 1996;Hendry et al, 2005).…”